Point-of-Care and Rapid Tests for the Etiological Diagnosis of Respiratory Tract Infections in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Fever is one of the most common causes of medical evaluation of children, and early discrimination between viral and bacterial infection is essential to reduce inappropriate prescriptions. This study aims to systematically review the effects of point-of-care tests (POCTs) and rapid tests for respiratory tract infections on changing antibiotic prescription rate, length of stay, duration of therapy, and healthcare costs. Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched. All randomized control trials and non-randomized observational studies meeting inclusion criteria were evaluated using the NIH assessment tool. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the effects of rapid influenza diagnostic tests and film-array respiratory panel implementation on selected outcome

SUBMITTER: Brigadoi G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9494981 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature